It was not my intention to disappear, especially not after questioning whether or not to renew my a-n membership, however studies, a trip to London and then a lack of technology in the Swedish countryside have led to a rather prolonged absence. I have a lot of catching up to do.
Today is my first real day in the studio since early June! It feels very good to be back at the start of what is going to be a very exciting (and challenging) year for me. Having passed the super-intensive language course I have started the final stage. I have been accepted on the second of Rolf Hugh’s artistic research (a/r) courses at Konstfack. This course will focus more own our own practices and less on the theory and context of a/r, though as we will meet in a seminar room it will continue to be discursive rather than hands on practical. Until a few weeks ago I imagined that these two courses and starting to look for some paid work here in Stockholm would occupy me for the autumn. In addition I have now been offered the (amazing) opportunity to also join the Project Programme at Mejan (the Royal College here, also known as KKH). I have applied for the programme for the last three years, and this year I was initially rejected (last year I was first reserve!), however when I final borrowed a friends trusty old monster of a computer to check my emails from his wi-fi free house where I was staying over the summer, there was a message from Mejan asking if I was still interested in the programme as they could offer me a place.
The Project Programme enables practicing artists to realise a professional project using the facilities at the college (not dissimilar to the UK AA2A scheme). I applied for a sculpture project, which means that I have access to their fantastic casting workshops. In fact my proposal was specifically aimed at casting as I want to re-acquaint myself with, and develop, these processes and want to work with new materials. Mejan has a reputation for its practical and technical expertise, and I am really interested in combining this with the more theoretical content at Konstfack.
The day-to-day reality of doing one full time course (the Project Programme) and two part-time ones (a/r and language) is both exciting and daunting. The a/r and language courses finish in December, so I am hoping that I can manage them all until then!
I will wait to see how it is with working space at Mejan before I make any decision about sub-letting my studio for the year. Economically it might make better sense to hire storage space for the things that I have at the studio. At the very least I will see if I can find someone to share the studio with – it is foolish to have it sitting unused for most of the week.
Mejan has the most fantastic waterfront location in central Stockholm, right next door to Moderna and opposite the old town and habour. Everyday for the past year when I have taken the little shuttle train out to Fisksatra where I live I have looked across the water and longed to be in the art school on the other side, soon I will be! It is still almost unbelievable!
In the meantime … this Thursday is the opening night for most of the commercial galleries after their summer break and I am looking forward to a good night out and seeing some art after what feels like a very long time away. It is actually only six weeks since I was in London, but living a completely different life for five weeks (working as a waiter in a country inn in the archipelago) has affected my sense of time.
